In Hindi heartland, both opposition, ruling alliance claim credit for caste Census

Primary school teacher collecting details as part of a door-to-door survey caste census at Kandi in Sangareddy district. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu

In the Hindi heartland, both the opposition and parties in the ruling alliance are celebrating with equal gusto the Union government’s decision to conduct a caste count along the decadal census, with each side pulling pages from history to project themselves as the original proponent of the idea.

Both Samajwadi Party and the RJD have claimed victory for themselves, with former Uttar Pradesh CM Akhilesh Yadav claiming that the decision is a result of “collective pressure”, while leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly. Tejashwi Yadav termed it an “ideological victory”. At the same time, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar commended the decision, while Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas) leader and Union Minister Chirag Paswan said the government has neutralised the opposition with this move. 

RJD Chief Lalu Prasad Yadav in a long post on X in Hindi said that “socialist ideas, once dismissed or ridiculed” have eventually been adopted by mainstream political forces. “What we socialists proposed 30 years ago — be it reservation, caste census, equality, fraternity, secularism — others take decades to follow. There is still a long way to go. But make no mistake — we will keep making these Sanghis dance to our agenda,” he said, recalling that the decision to conduct caste count as part of the 2001 census was taken by the Janata Dal-led United Front government in 1996-97. “But that move was shelved by the NDA government under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee,” he wrote. The demand, he said, was revived in 2011 during the UPA tenure, when he along with SP leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and then JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav stalled Parliament for several days until the government assured to conduct a socio-economic survey. 

Mr. Lalu also highlighted that the first caste-based survey in India was successfully carried out in Bihar under the Mahagathbandhan government during its 17-month rule, adding that the momentum for caste enumeration has always come from regional socialist forces. His son and leader of opposition in Bihar Assembly Tejashwi Yadav said that it has now to be taken to the next level with introducing  reservation for OBC and Extremely Backward Class has to be introduced in State Assemblies and Parliament.

In Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP government suffered its biggest losses in Lok Sabha polls Samajwadi Party President, Akhilesh Yadav said the decision is a result of “collective pressure”. At the same time he also cautioned the government not to manipulate the caste census. “Only an honest Census will ensure that every caste receives its rightful share and rights proportional to its population,” he said.

The allies in Bihar, meanwhile, are thrilled with the decision. “The Central Government’s decision to conduct a caste Census is commendable,” Bihar CM and JD(U) President Nitish Kumar said. “Conducting a caste Census will help determine the population of different sections, which will facilitate the formulation of plans for their upliftment and development. This will accelerate the country’s development.”

Chirag Paswan said that the government by this announcement has neutralised the only weapon that the opposition had. Mr. Paswan asked, “Those who are claiming credit should ask themselves why they didn’t take a similar step when they were in power. Three family members from the Gandhi family have headed the country. In Bihar, Lalu Prasad Yadav and his wife together have been in power for 15-years, why didn’t they take this step then?”